


Superboy And The Invisible Girl

by Bounemr



Series: Showcase: Pokemon AU [6]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Chat Noir is a performer, Friendship, Gen, Identity Reveal, One Shot, POV Juleka Couffaine, Pokemon AU, theyre doing their best
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-21
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-11-01 13:07:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17867837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bounemr/pseuds/Bounemr
Summary: Juleka doesn't know Adrien too well, but when she runs into him and learns a secret, she finds herself with a new friend.Pre-Showcase; set the year before, when Adrien first started attending public school. The story of when Juleka found out that he's Chat Noir, and the first steps of the friendship she didn't expect to last.





	Superboy And The Invisible Girl

That Saturday morning, when Juleka woke up, she was excited. Usually, there wasn’t much to be excited about, but as she looked around her and took in the still-too-spartan room she’d been slowly turning into her own she couldn’t help but feel like things were getting brighter.

It was a pretty relieving feeling, actually. It was nice to get a break. But that was the thing about emotions – they didn’t always make too much sense, and sometimes they could be pretty capricious. Juleka had felt better by the time she went to sleep the night before, but that morning she actually felt happy. Excited.

_Chat Noir’s going to post a video today, I think._ With a grin, Juleka shot out of bed and rushed to her computer. She loved Chat Noir’s performances, and she loved when he talked to the camera even more. Especially recently.

Newly sixteen, and legally an adult, Juleka rented an apartment on Hibernal Avenue so that she could have a quiet, more predictable place to stay during her last years of school. The condition her mother left her was only that she did finish school, and Juleka was more than happy to comply.

It was true that a few students from their class left over the summer to start on their quests to become master trainers or coordinators or just to travel because they could. Juleka was tempted to take off, too, but she had already had enough of being lonely. While renting an apartment on her own was more lonely than staying on the houseboat, her family still came to visit all the time, and Juleka had to admit she had a much easier time focusing and making it to school on time when she wasn’t competing with blaring music and actually knew how far she’d be from school in the morning.

But the real reason she stayed in school was because of Rose. Rose was staying and she was Juleka’s only real friend outside of her family. Juleka figured that staying in school and being invisible but having Rose with her was far better than leaving and spending long months travelling all alone. She’d already had enough of being lonely and having one person was better than none.

But still, becoming an adult meant a lot of changes. She had her apartment, and she absolutely loved it. It was stressful sometimes, especially since she moved in just before school started and had to deal with school on top of getting settled in. But Rose helped her, and so did her mother and Luka. She had new classmates, too. Replacing the ones that left on their own journeys. There was sweet Mylène, the guy who was almost definitely her crush, Ivan, Alix the firebrand (Juleka was really interested in how well she and Nathanaël seemed to hit it off. They were such opposites, she never expected that), the reporter Alya, Marinette’s new best friend, and of course the bros Nino and Adrien.

So much of their class either left or got shuffled around as the teachers rearranged for all the classes to be around the same size again. Juleka wasn’t super close to most of them, of course. They weren’t immune to her invisibility like Rose was, after all, but even still she was going to miss having so many familiar faces around. She wouldn’t be surprised if some of her new classmates didn’t even know she was in the class at all.

And usually that bothered Juleka, but that Saturday morning, sitting at her computer with a cup of hot tea and a new video from the internet performer Chat Noir, it didn’t bother her one bit.

Juleka didn’t know if he had that effect on other people. Chat Noir looked around her age, and he had an easygoing smile and a forward – even flirty on occasion – personality that made him entertaining to listen to as well as watch. Most of his videos were performances, but he’d sometimes put a small thirty-second or so chat at the end if he had something to say. Usually they weren’t super substantial, but Juleka enjoyed them nonetheless. They made her feel less lonely, because Chat Noir had a way of talking to a camera that made her feel like he was talking to _her_. And also because there were thousands of other people who shared her love for his performances, and who she could join her voice with as they responded to the video.

Even if he didn’t know her, even if none of the other fans knew her, she was still part of the community, and that meant something.

“Hey, kittens!” Chat Noir’s voice crackled across her room, bringing a smile to her face. “I just wanted to say that this performance was super special to me. It’s sort of thrown together, but I’ve had an absolutely _amazing_ week, and I wanted to share it with you all so I pieced this performance together kind of last minute. I hope the fun and joy that my friends gave me reaches you guys through this. Smile for me, alright? I’m smiling for you.”

Juleka restarted the video, to watch the performance in full again. Chat Noir was absolutely soaring. His happiness really did make it into Juleka’s room, and she sighed when the video ended once more. _Had an amazing week, huh?_

In truth, Juleka’s week had been less than phenomenal, though her classmates undoubtedly had a great time just like Chat Noir. It had been Adrien’s birthday, just a couple weeks after the school year started, and even though Adrien’s father forbid a birthday party, the whole class brought food and drinks and had an impromptu party in class, completely under Adrien’s dad’s nose. Nino instigated it but Ms. Bustier, the saint that she is, was more than enthusiastic about the idea.

It was just one period of the day, but it was important not only for Adrien, but for all the new kids. A few of them, like Ivan and Mylène, knew each other from their old class before they were transferred, but some, like Adrien and Alya, were new to the school entirely. It gave the whole class a chance to get to know each other. That’s what she’d been hearing, anyway. And it was Ms. Bustier’s official excuse for letting them throw a party during class time.

But Juleka was invisible, and though it was unsurprising, and though she was used to it, it hurt to be left out of everything. Rose sat with her for part of the time, but Rose also wanted to really get to know everyone, and Juleka was terribly shy, so she told Rose to go ahead and join the rest of them. To leave Juleka at the back desk while everyone gathered at the front.

Juleka would never be angry at Rose, but she had to admit she was a little jealous. To be able to approach and make friends like that must be wonderful. Juleka was jealous, but she wouldn’t dream of letting herself hold Rose back because Rose was concerned for her.

Juleka smiled, remembering Rose’s concern. It was sweet. Unnecessary, but sweet. Juleka knew she was invisible. But she had Rose, and she had her family and her pokémon, and that was more than enough. It was more than she ever expected. She didn’t need Rose’s concern, she just needed Rose to be happy.

Happy, like Rose made her feel. Juleka shook her head a little too roughly and sighed. _I hope she does find someone. As sweet as she is, it’s only a matter of time before the boys start falling head over heels. Like I did._

She looked at her computer again, considering the video still lingering on the screen. Chat Noir was more than just an internet sensation to her. She knew it was silly, because he was just a boy with a camera and a talent, and he had no idea who she was, but his videos gave her something to look forward to. They gave her something consistent and they were more steadying than she expected during all the transitions of the last few months. Life would have been a lot more difficult if she didn’t have the next Chat Noir video to stick around for.

It was silly, but it was true.

Under the safety of internet anonymity, she left a comment to join the others under his video, and then she got up to prepare for the day. She showered and brushed her teeth and got dressed grabbed her bag and looked in the mirror and smiled. For Chat Noir. Because he smiled for her. Then very quickly her smile became for Rose, and then for herself, and she stepped outside and started her walk towards Centrico Plaza.

It wasn’t a busy day for her. All she really needed to do was pick up some groceries and maybe stock up on makeup. There was a small amount of homework she had assigned for the weekend, but she was more than able to spare her Saturday to visiting her family.

When she did reach the plaza, and saw the Trainer PR Studio on the corner, she got the itch to give it a try, just once, like she sometimes did on days one of the performers she follows would post something amazing. She wished she could do what they did. They just got on camera and soared like birds and Juleka was jealous of how they flew.

But dancing wasn’t really her thing. And being on camera was a literal curse for her, so even if it was something she could stick to and _do_ , she didn’t think it would be possible for her. She had picked up enough of music from Luka and her own experimentations to compose her own music. She even made a piece and tried dancing once just because. It was fun. Her pokémon all got a kick out of it and they laughed and laughed and Juleka saw the merits of doing something like that every once in a while, to exercise herself and her pokémon and just for fun and bonding, but she knew it wasn’t something she could take to the level of Chat Noir or any other professional performer. She’d never actually take part in showcases or anything. Not just because she was shy, though that was obviously a barrier, it just wasn’t her thing.

She wished she could find her thing.

Juleka checked her belt to make sure she had her pokémon with her. Poochyena was still a little young and rambunctious and they were still getting to know each other, but the rest of her pokémon were long-time friends. Just having them there, even when they were in their balls, was comforting. Roserade especially was her trusted companion. Ever since she started getting panic attacks, it had been a lot easier to go around, especially in public, when she knew Roserade was with her and ready to help.

She couldn’t even remember who told her that a Sweet Scent or Aromatherapy could help, but whoever it was, Juleka owed them a ton. Them and Roserade.

_I should make a smoothie. Maybe Mom and Luka and Rose will want some, too. Yeah. I’m feeling one today._ Mentally checking her pantry, Juleka was pretty sure she was fresh out of fresh ingredients on the whole and decided to skip over the produce for now and pick it up on her way back, after she’d hit up the shops for makeup and maybe done a little window shopping for clothes.

There was a little boutique along the river towards Magenta Plaza that Juleka adored. It was a small, family-owned thing, and the owner and all the employees knew the Couffaine family. Juleka and Luka spent enough time there that even noticing Juleka was kind of inevitable. Basically all of both their wardrobes came exclusively from that boutique.

The gentle chime of the bell over the door greeted her, and the smell of fabric and the sea of clothes around her made her feel at home. “Be with you in a minute!” A lilting voice sounded from around some racks, and not a moment later an aging woman poked her head around the corner and grinned the most brilliant grin at the sight of Juleka. “Ah, Juleka! How lovely to see you. Come in! Come in! Tell, me, how are you doing, sweetie?” Juleka let Mme. Kilar usher her deep into the little store. “What are you looking for? Your brother told me you moved into your own apartment! How exciting! How are things there?”

Juleka chuckled slowly. “Good to see you too, Madame Kilar. I’m doing just great.”

Mme. Kilar gave her that knowing look that all old people seem to have in their repertoire. “And how’s your friend, hmm? The sweet little flower.”

“Rose? She’s great, too. She’s already getting along with all our new classmates.”

“Oh, good for her! Do you have many new classmates this year?”

Juleka nodded. “Yes. Most of us turned sixteen last year, so we lost a lot of students. The classes always get rearranged in this year.”

“Ah, of course. No grand adventure for you, dear?”

“Aha, no. I’m already having enough of an adventure with the new classmates and the apartment.”

Mme. Kilar laughed so boisterously and with such passion that Juleka couldn’t help chuckle along. “Of course, of course. Now, what can I help you with, hmm?”

“Oh, nothing today, Madame. I’m just looking.”

“Mhmm.” Juleka rolled her eyes when she got that knowing look again. “Well, do let me know if there’s anything you need.”

“I will.”

Juleka shook her head and browsed for a while. She found a few cute accessories; some lace gloves, a black choker, a silver headband with little cat-ear frames on top. Juleka really was only there to browse, but Mme. Kilar always seemed to know when she’d end up buying something. Juleka should have known from the moment she got that knowing look thrown at her that she wouldn’t be leaving the boutique empty handed. It didn’t really matter. Mme. Kilar’s shop was on the cheap side, and Juleka could afford to buy a few small things.

Still, it wouldn’t be wise to stick around, since she was clearly in a buying mood. She absconded quickly with her prizes and Mme. Kilar’s friendly and conspiratorial cackle.

Feeling even better after meeting with the old woman, Juleka decided the next stop would be a makeup store. That could sometimes get expensive and had recently gotten much more so when Poochyena got the habit of sniffing out her hoard and destroying absolutely all of it. Plus, Juleka was a little bit of a stickler for quality makeup. She only shopped at reputable stores, though her budget forced her to get the cheaper items from those stores.

Especially since Poochyena started getting into it. It was more expensive, yes, and if he got into it it’d be a lot more money down the drain, yes, but better that than to have makeup with something harmful in it that Poochyena could get all over him, or worse, that he could eat.

Juleka very carefully did her research, and very strictly sticks to brands she trusts. If bad makeup is going to give her cancer or something that’s one thing, but there’s no way in hell it’s hurting Poochyena. Thus, the good stores.

She stepped silently into one of the stores on her side of Centrico Plaza, a little down the street towards Jaune Plaza and her school. She knew exactly where she’d find what she was looking for. She was pretty exact about her makeup, after all, and the store rarely reorganized that severely.

So, she was making her way down an aisle, looking for eyeliner, when she very nearly bumped into a lump of black and gold hunched over on the floor. “Oh, excuse me.” She muttered. She started to carefully step around the lump, but then it registered in her mind what she was seeing.

Adrien Agreste, sunglasses perched on his golden hair, with a pristine frown, brows furrowed as he examined a stick of pencil liner, clad in a worn-out black hoodie and faded designer jeans. Juleka knew Adrien was a model, and she’d seen him with eyeliner before – in a magazine – but she’d never known him to wear it casually, or even for events when he could choose his own makeup.

Then again, she’d known him for all of a month, so maybe he did like the stuff. Juleka was pretty fond of it. _Even so._ Juleka peered over his shoulder at the stick in his hands. _Heidi? Really, Adrien? I thought you’d have better taste._

Carefully keeping her mouth shut, Juleka decided the best course of action was probably to leave before he noticed her. She’d save them both the awkwardness of having to politely greet a classmate they’d never talked to before in a place neither of them expected to see each other.

“Juleka?”

_Aw, man._

She looked back to him. His eyes were blown wide, and his jaw was on the ground. Then he flushed red and started making excuses. “I-I, uh, I was just… just… looking! Yeah! Just looking! I heard about a brand that I’d be wearing on my next photoshoot.” He frantically checked the stick in his hand. “Heidi Caron! That’s it! I was just curious.”

_Aw, man. Now I know he’s lying._ Juleka totally would not have even given a second thought to seeing him there if he wasn’t the worst liar in the history of Lumiose, but apparently he just wanted to dig his own grave. Still, she was certainly going to give him an out. It’s not like it was her place to question him, or why he was lying about what he was doing in a makeup store. “Heidi Caron kind of sucks.” Juleka ended up muttering.

Adrien just blinked dumbly at her.

“I’m sorry.” She said, backing away.

“Wha- no, hey! It’s alright.” He eyed the liner in his hand again. “W-why, exactly? What’s wrong with it?”

Juleka hugged herself and averted her gaze. “Pencil liners by Heidi Caron like that are way too hard. You have to put too much pressure to apply anything, and it ends up hurting.”

Adrien took another look at the pencil and quickly placed it back on the shelf. “Oh. Thanks.”

“Mmm.”

“So… uh…”

Juleka rocked on her feet a little. She just wanted to get away, but he was staring at her and it was already awkward and she didn’t want to make him think she just didn’t want to be around him.

Adrien cleared his throat. “Out of curiosity. If you were to choose an eyeliner for me, what would you go with?” He tilted his head, and then blushed again. “For my… photoshoot. Of course.”

“Right.” Juleka responded. She couldn’t help the doubt in her voice. It really wasn’t any of her business. He was just such a _bad_ liar. If he’d just stop trying to pretend, she wouldn’t ask. “Well, I prefer the old Margaret Lebeau brand, if I can find it. It’s getting rarer, though, so usually I use Jackson Riddel’s brand.”

“Jackson Riddel.” Adrien repeated. “Oh! Right, I’ve used him before! Now that I think about it, that was some pretty good quality. Thanks, Juleka!”

She shook her head. “Mhmm.”

“I should… probably, you know, get going.”

She rolled her eyes. “You should do your shopping, first.”

Adrien stared at her, jaw ajar. Juleka couldn’t take it and brushed past him to finally get to the eyeliner she was looking for. They actually did have her favored brand, but as it was getting rarer and rarer, the price was also going up. Keeping in mind Poochyena and the likelihood that she wouldn’t get to use the whole thing, she picked up some Jackson Riddel pencil liner. She preferred liquid, but Poochyena recently managed to gnaw through one of her bottles and even though it was (thankfully) harmless to him, she never wanted to clean up another mess like that again. _I’ll stick with pencil until I can figure out how to keep him out of the stash._

Next to her, she saw Adrien eye the Margaret Lebeau liner, the one she said she likes the best. He glanced curiously to her. “Isn’t this the one you said you like?”

“Yeah.” She answered. There was a long pause, and she realized she probably should have elaborated. “It’s getting expensive.”

Adrien looked at the price, not ridiculous all things considered but not cheap by any means, and just furrowed his brow. “Really?”

“I would get it,” Juleka said, “but my poochyena has gotten into the habit of tearing up my makeup stash, so I’m sticking to cheaper brands until I figure out how to keep him out.”

“Oh…” Adrien said, nodding his head. “Okay, that makes sense. I didn’t know you had a poochyena.”

“Mhmm.”

Juleka stood for a moment, watching Adrien watch her. _Oh. Awkward._ Adrien replaced the tube he had picked up. “Right.” He said. “I should… go.”

“Do your shopping first.” She said again. He froze again. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. I know you’re busy, you don’t have to take a whole other trip here on my account.”

“O-oh.” Juleka swore Adrien’s voice cracked. “You’re… not going to ask why I’m really getting makeup?”

“No.” Juleka said.

“Oh.” They stood there watching the floor for what felt like an eternity. “Well, uh… thanks.”

“Mmm.”

Adrien grabbed the Margaret Lebeau brand liquid eyeliner and walked past her. Juleka curled up a little, taking up as little space as possible as he passed by. _Oh, thank heavens. That could not have gone worse._ “Actually, wait.” _Crap._ Juleka reluctantly turned around to see Adrien. “Look, Juleka, I swear I really do have a perfectly reasonable explanation for this.”

_You’re a model. I honestly would expect you to wear makeup. Eyeliner is new, but I’ve only known you a month, so why not?_ In answer, she just hummed quietly. Again.

“I’m, uh… well… the thing is…” He looked around and surged forward to take Juleka’s arm and whisper, “I’m sort of a… performer. You know showcases? I do those online. Post videos. Dad doesn’t know, so I hide my face and this,” He indicated the eyeliner in his hand, “is part of the costume.”

“Oh.” Juleka said, a little overwhelmed by that knowledge. The last thing she expected was Adrien to give up his escape route and turn around to tell her a secret. “I like performances.”

Adrien grinned. “Really?!” The light in his eyes reignited and lifted him up. “That’s awesome! Have you ever seen Chat Noir?”

Juleka didn’t trust herself to speak, so she just nodded.

Adrien’s grin widened and he leaned even closer. Juleka couldn’t help but lean in too with how enthusiastic he was. It felt kind of conspiratorial. She liked it. “I’ve got a secret.” Adrien whispered. “I’m Chat Noir.”

Juleka felt her eyes widen. Surely, he had to be lying, but why would he? _You don’t really know him._ But it did make sense, didn’t it? _They do look the same, if I take away the mask. Their hair is definitely the same._

“Juleka?”

“Hmm?”

“Is… is that alright? That I’m Chat?”

Juleka blinked. _You’re Chat Noir._ “You’re… _oh_.” _I know Chat Noir._ She didn’t really know what came over her, there, to do something so out of character. She was embarrassed as soon as she realized what was happening, but for some reason she found herself hugging him tightly. He stiffened for a moment, but very quickly he had his own arms around her.

Juleka would have jumped away. She almost did, when she realized she just hugged Adrien – Chat Noir – but his own grip on her was pretty firm, and she only extricated herself when he realized her grip loosened and he responded in turn. Adrien looked at her face, beaming but still knitting his eyebrows together. “What was that for?” He asked.

Juleka pulled away, out of his hands totally. “Sorry.” She said. _May as well tell the truth. He told me the truth._ “Chat Noir’s videos have helped me a lot. So… thanks.”

When she dared look, there was something deep and sad in Adrien’s eyes. Juleka recognized it, and she hated to see it in him. Those eyes should be filled with fire that would bring him freely through the sky, not that ice that made her sink. “Oh.” He said. “Well, I’m glad they helped you. And now you have me in person!” The fire came back, and he cocked a thumb to point to himself. “I’m here for you if you need me.”

“Yeah.” Juleka said. _For as long as you remember to see me._ “Thanks.”

Adrien positively buzzed. “Ahh, I can’t believe I just told you that!” He ran his hands through his hair, but he was still beaming. “I’ve never told anyone before! Even Chloé doesn’t know! I don’t even know _why_ I said it!”

“Too embarrassed by eyeliner?” Juleka offered.

Adrien laughed and threw a hand over her shoulder. “Yeah, that was it. That was _mortifying_! Arceus, I’m glad it was you, though. Anyone else and I would have never lived it down.”

Juleka quirked a brow and glanced sideways at him. “Who said I’d let you live it down?”

Adrien blushed and covered his face. “Oh, no.”

Juleka just chuckled softly. “What else do you need?”

“Oh! Right. I need another neutral palette, and black eyeshadow, then I’m good on makeup. What about you?”

Juleka sighed. “Foundation and lipstick.”

Adrien grimaced. “Please tell me your poochyena didn’t…”

“He did.”

“Oh, no.”

“It’s safe. I make sure everything I get is safe for the pokémon, but…” She sighed deeply once more. “It took so long to clean.”

“I’m so sorry.” She felt Adrien’s hand on her shoulder, and they shared a look before laughing together. “Hey, you seem to know a lot about makeup, though.”

“Mhmm.” Juleka hummed. “I’m kind of a stickler for it.”

Adrien chuckled. “Alright, then. Since we’re both here, why don’t we shop together?”

Juleka kind of thought they already were when they left the eyeliner section talking about what they still needed to get, but she smiled and played along anyway. “Sure.”

“Alright! What else are you doing today, anyway?”

“Not much. Just grocery shopping and then maybe I’ll visit Mom and Luka.”

“Luka? Wait, you don’t live with your mom?”

Juleka shook her head. “We live on a houseboat. I got my own apartment this year to be a little more stable and to uh, quote ‘learn responsibility’ even though we all know if Mom thought I was irresponsible she wouldn’t have let me get an apartment.”

Adrien giggled. “That’s so cool! You actually just have your own place?”

“Mhmm. It’s kind of nice. A little lonely, sometimes, though. I’m so used to Luka, uh, my brother, and Mom jazzing up the place.”

“Oh. Are they musicians? Are _you_ a musician? I play piano mostly, but I dabble in a bunch of instruments.”

“Yeah. I play guitar and bass guitar. Dabble too.”

“That’s awesome! I’d love to hear you play sometime!”

Juleka hugged herself and ducked her head. “Well… Luka’s better.”

“Well, with that attitude.”

She rolled her eyes. “What about you? What’re you up to?”

“Honestly?” Adrien’s eyes shone with that fire and he got a bounce in his step again. “I was going to record a new video.”

“Already?”

His grin widened. “Yeah! I think I mentioned in the video, the last one was kind of last-minute all thrown together in a few days. After you guys threw that party for me, I just had to dance about it, you know? So, I did that. This one is the performance I’ve been working on.”

“Oh. Rad.”

“Do you… want to come?”

Juleka stared dumbly at him. “I… what?”

Adrien flushed red as a wurmple and rubbed his neck. “Sorry. You probably don’t- yeah you have your own things to do. I just thought… well, I don’t know. I’m not even sure why I told you I’m Chat.”

Juleka thought just managing to say anything at all was a pretty good achievement. Unfortunately, what she said was, “Me neither.” When Adrien flinched at the words, Juleka hastily added. “It’s cool, though. We just, you know, don’t really know each other. I wasn’t going to ask. None of my business.”

Adrien hummed uncomfortably as they looked together at foundation. “Right. We haven’t really talked, have we? I didn’t see you when we had that party in class.”

“I was sitting in the back.”

“What? Really? Why didn’t you come talk to everyone?”

Juleka just hugged herself and looked away. She heard a soft “Oh” that told her Adrien realized how silly his question was. “Sorry.” She said. “I’m just not very good at… this.”

“Hey, don’t apologize. Me neither, honestly. I’m just excited to be able to.”

Juleka hummed in response and they moved on to get the next item they needed. “Is it… really okay if I watch you record?”

Adrien shot up again, beaming. “Of course! I’d love if you could come! You’re going to love my team, I know it! Actually, you’ll be the first one from school except Nino to really meet them. And I can’t wait to meet yours!” He settled down suddenly and rubbed his neck. “Sorry. I’m just kind of excited to make a new friend. And to share performing with someone.”

If Juleka were being entirely honest, being Adrien’s friend did appeal to her. He seemed like a really genuine and nice guy, and she got that feeling from him that made her pine a little bit to talk to him and get close as friends. She did from pretty much the moment she saw him in her classroom on day one. From when Marinette misunderstood what Adrien was doing when he was trying to take the gum off her seat and blew up at him. Juleka knew he would be a good friend, but she really didn’t want to get her hopes up.

He hadn’t even noticed she wasn’t in the crowd at his party. She was sure he usually didn’t notice her in class or around the school. Most people didn’t. She’d had people she considered friends before just kind of forget about her because she blended too much into the background. They just forgot to talk to her some days, and then eventually forgot about her completely.

It really wasn’t good for her optimism that whatever was happening with Adrien would last. She found herself torn. Should she pull away and just go about her business as normal and save herself the pain of losing another friend, or should she give Adrien a shot and enjoy what time she had, for however long it lasted?

Not long, she figured, with how everyone else in the class flocked to him, but would it be worth it? Juleka worried her lip and focused her gaze on the palettes in front of her to avoid looking at Adrien.

“Juleka? Am I making you uncomfortable?”

She shook her head vehemently. “No. I’m fine.” She said. “Sorry.”

“Well… what’s up? You’re quiet.”

“I’m always quiet.”

Adrien chuckled gently. “Okay, that might be true. All the more reason for me to want to see you perform.” With a dazzling smile, he gave her a wink. “I really do want to get to know you. And be your friend. Is that okay?”

Juleka nodded.

“Then why don’t we spend the day together? You can come watch me perform, and then I’ll tag along to whatever you want to do. You said you were going to visit your family, right? Do you think they’d mind?”

Juleka shook her head. “I don’t know if I’m actually going to go see them, though. But we can hang out at my place if you want.”

“Your place? Oh, cool! That might be even better. You know, I’m kind of jealous. You’re the only one I know who has her own place.”

“I was going to go grocery shopping after this.”

“We can do that! I’ll help you carry your bags!” He just gave her that golden smile and she couldn’t have told him no if she wanted to. She didn’t really want to. “I’ve got the PR Studio booked from three to five, so we’ll have to go to record then, but otherwise I’m totally free today.”

“What about food?”

“Well, I got to eat something light for lunch, since I’m performing, but after that is dinner. Want to eat together, too?”

“I’m down. We can eat lunch at my place after we pick up groceries.”

“Yeah! It’s a date!” He paused. “Plan. Plan, I definitely meant to say plan.”

Juleka just chuckled and shook her head.

Together, with slightly fewer awkward mishaps, they managed to buy their makeup and start walking towards the grocer. Inside, Juleka was soothed as always by the smell of greens and berries and fruits. It reminded her of Roserade. A calming scent.

Adrien lit up at the sight. “Woah.” He said, his increasingly familiar smile stretching across his face. “It feels… fresh in here.”

Juleka nodded. “Mhmm.”

“Okay.” He bounced on his toes. “What’re we looking for?”

Rolling her eyes, Juleka took his arm and led him to the fruits. “I was planning on making smoothies today. Any suggestions for yours? Anything you like in particular?”

Adrien used his free hand to cover hers, in the crook of his elbow. He didn’t lock her in place – she could pull away if she wanted to – but he stopped her from letting go. “Hmm.” He tilted his head in thought. “Nah. I’ll trust your judgement.”

“Okay.” She started eyeing the produce she’d want and started mentally calculating how much she’d need. “Could you get the shopping bags out of my backpack?”

“Huh? Oh, sure.” He let her arm drop (and didn’t look too happy doing it) to go and pull at the zipper on the bag around her shoulders. Keeping her trunk steady so he could fiddle with the zipper and search the bag, she reached out to pick up some fruit and examine it.

When Adrien had zipped her bag back up, he slipped back around her to hold out one of the tote bags she had in there. They chatted a little about produce – Adrien had a few questions about what she was looking for when she looked each fruit over – and about their plans and lives as they made their way around the grocers.

It was nice. She wasn’t used to shopping with anyone but her family or, on occasion, Rose.

With her haul, or rather with Adrien insisting on carrying her haul, they made their way back through the streets of Lumiose to a small apartment building on Hibernal Avenue. “Go ahead and put that on the counter.” She told Adrien, ushering him inside her apartment and gesturing to the kitchen.

Obediently, he did so, head swiveling in awe as he took in her simple, sparse apartment. Really, there wasn’t much to look at. A small television in front of a used loveseat with a scratched coffee table on a fraying rug between them. She didn’t have much in the way of decorations, though her bedroom was a little better since it at least had a few houseplants and the posters she couldn’t bring herself to leave behind on the boat.

Juleka felt like there was too much space in the living room, despite how small the apartment was on the whole. It was fine. She’d only been there a few weeks, so it made sense that she wouldn’t have the space filled yet. Plus, it gave her space to let her pokémon out in the apartment. Though, she imagined that to Adrien, whose room was probably bigger than her whole apartment, it probably seemed cramped. She didn’t know exactly how Adrien lived, but she had seen the exterior of the Agreste mansion before.

“This is so cool!” Adrien exclaimed. “This is all just yours?”

“Technically, it’s rented. It is an apartment. But yeah.”

“So cool.” He repeated, just to himself.

Shaking her head, Juleka pulled her pokéballs off her belt. “Alright, I’m going to let the pokémon out. Be prepared to be loved.”

“Huh?”

Snickering, she released Poochyena. Predictably, the little rascal looked curiously up at her for just a moment before his nose twitched and he set off like a rocket across the room to jump up on Adrien. Adrien seemed more than eager to return Poochyena’s affection. “Aww! He’s so cute!”

Letting him distract Poochyena, Juleka went ahead and released Roserade and Sliggoo.

Adrien came bounding over faster than Poochyena. “Oh! Hi! I’m Adrien.” He knelt down to greet the two. “I’m Juleka’s friend!”

Her pokémon shared a look and greeted him, too. That meant a polite curtsy from Roserade, and a slimy cuddle from Sliggoo. Predictably. Luckily it didn’t get on his clothes. Juleka just handed him a towel to wipe off his cheek and hands.

Also predictably, Juleka had to step in and scoop up Poochyena before he could tackle Sliggoo and get slime all up in his fur.

Adrien beamed at her. That fiery, bright, enthusiastic ear-to-ear smile. “Aw, Juleka, I love all of them.”

She laughed. “Good.” She held out Poochyena and dropped him in Adrien’s arms. Poochyena curled up and cuddled into his chest, eliciting another soft squeal from Adrien. “They like you, too.”

“How did you meet them all?”

Juleka opened her backpack and pulled out her makeup and the accessories she’d bought and started putting them away. “Keep a tight hold on Poochyena.” She warned, eyeing him. “He doesn’t get to see where I put this.” She waved the makeup, smirking. Adrien laughed and sat down on the loveseat. “Well, let’s see.” She said. “Sliggoo was my first pokémon. Got him as a goomy. Actually found him injured in the river one day and kind of fished him out. When he didn’t want to leave after he’d recovered, Mom said since I’m the one that found him and took care of him, I should keep him.”

“Oh. What happened?”

“He got hit by a boat. Not ours.”

“Ouch.”

“Yeah.” Juleka shook her head. “Roserade was next. She’s actually a support pokémon. Got her so she can use Aromatherapy and help me calm down when I start panicking. Usually she can stop an attack before it starts.”

Adrien’s eyes went wide. “You have panic attacks?”

Juleka shrugged. “Less often now. And again, she helps me through them, even if the Aromatherapy doesn’t stop them when they do start.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. Poochyena was a stowaway.”

“Wait, what?” Adrien smiled again. “He’s a stowaway?”

“Mhmm. Found him in the houseboat one day. Spent a long time searching for his family, since he’s pretty young. But no one claimed him, and we couldn’t find any wild mightyena nearby that could be his parents, so we figured he was probably ditched by a trainer who couldn’t take care of puppies and he found his way to our place looking for food.”

“Aw.” Adrien nuzzled into Poochyena. “You poor thing.” Poochyena nipped his nose, making him pull away in shock and start laughing.

“By the way,” Juleka said, “do you have your Chat Noir outfit?”

Adrien froze. A blush creeped across his cheeks. “Oh. I forgot about that.” He said. “I’ll have to head home first to pick it up.”

“What’s the story behind that, anyway? I know you don’t want your dad to find out, but why hide?”

“Because Dad will find out.” Adrien said flatly. He sighed. “It’s… well, it started as a thing for me, you know? I don’t want Dad to commandeer it and turn it into another modelling thing. As Chat, I can do what I want. Perform how I want, to what music I want, and with who I want. If Dad got wind of it, he’d start trying to dictate it.”

“Sounds important.”

“It is. My pokémon really love it, too. I don’t want to ruin it for them, either.”

Juleka nodded. “So, why tell me?”

He blushed and rubbed his neck. “I don’t know. I guess I just got the feeling I could.”

She arched her brow. “And not Nino?”

“Look, you surprised me. And I was embarrassed.” He pursed his lips, pouting a little. “Besides, even at school, I don’t really want anyone to know. Even if it wouldn’t get back to my father. Honestly, I didn’t expect so many people to recognize me on my first day.”

Juleka nodded sympathetically. She would have _hated_ the greeting he got, surrounded by students who wanted his autograph or to get a picture with him. On the bright side, it made navigating the halls pretty easy for her, once she’d gotten past or around the blockage. “I only recognized you because I look at a lot of makeup ads.”

Adrien chuckled. “Can I ask… were you just too shy to approach, or did you really just not care about me being a model?”

Juleka shrugged. “Both, I guess. I didn’t talk to you because I’m shy, but you being a model wasn’t why I wanted to.”

Adrien grinned. “You wanted to, though! Even before we met up today!” Juleka let her bangs cover her face and nodded. “That’s so sweet! I wanted to talk to you, too, but you looked kind of like you preferred to be alone, so I didn’t want to bother you.”

Juleka felt her face warm. She never would have expected that he had noticed her, much less wanted to talk to her. _See how long it lasts._ The nagging in her mind said. She brushed it aside. She had lots of practice with that. “I was surprised how everyone greeted you, too. You’re just a model.”

“Thank you!” Adrien exclaimed. “I’m just a model! I get that I’m the same age as them, so that’s cool and all, but really, I wouldn’t think so many people would recognize me. I never get recognized unless it’s like right after a major ad for like, cologne or something. Then that wears off and I can go around like normal again. Even the people who recognize me don’t usually care. I’m not supposed to be anything special. It’s the clothes and the… everything I model that is.”

Juleka shrugged. “There are some famous supermodels.”

“And I’m nowhere near that level. Honestly, I think Chloé or someone must have spread the word before I got there, because that was ridiculous.”

She chuckled. “Agreed.”

“Anyway, that’s why I don’t want even my classmates to know I’m Chat. You hear people talk about _him_ all the time. He’s an internet star, and showcases are a lot more popular than some niche fashion stuff.”

“I get it.” Juleka said. It made sense, when he explained it like that. If he came out as Chat Noir and people got word of it, school would be like it was on his first day again. Maybe worse. Probably worse. And it’d probably last a lot longer, too. Not to mention that a rumor like that would _definitely_ spread, and it’d get online, and everyone would know because Adrien did have at least some notoriety to his own name, especially in Central Lumiose, and the Agreste family had even more notoriety, and so his father would without a doubt hear about it. That could very easily spiral out of control. Juleka would keep it secret, too, if she were in his place.

“You know, it’s really nice to be able to talk about this. I’m glad you caught me.” Juleka couldn’t hold back at the expression he gave her. It was so earnest and kind. She smiled back, for him. Because he smiled for her, because that was who he was. But also, she smiled for herself, because it was really nice to spend time with him and to have a new friend.

They didn’t spend too long at Juleka’s apartment. If they wanted to get to the PR Studio on time, they didn’t have much choice. It wasn’t too late, but since they needed to stop by Adrien’s place to pick up his gear, they had to account for that extra walk. So, Juleka found some snacks for them both to tide them over. They decided it would do, and they’d have smoothies after the performance and that would be their total lunch.

It threw off their hastily made plan a little bit, but it wasn’t too bad. Since they’d changed up their lunch plans and didn’t linger at her place too long, they made good time on their way to Adrien’s. She waited outside, not wanting to ruffle any feathers, when Adrien popped in to grab his bag, and the two of them were walking back the way they came.

Honestly, Juleka’s feet were starting to hurt. Between shopping and the trek to Adrien’s place and back to the PR Studio, she’d walked quite a lot that morning. But she wouldn’t complain about it. Having Adrien’s unexpected company was more than worth some sore feet.

Still, she was glad for the break when they got to the PR Studio. Adrien just went up to the counter and told the woman there about his reservation and they handed him a room key and he dragged Juleka into a spacious room with some basic camera equipment and a green screen and a mirror wall.

Juleka was still looking around curiously at everything when Adrien called out his pokémon. She recognized them from his videos, but it was still pretty cool seeing them in person. The ledian quickly flew up to her and buzzed cheerily. “Hi.” Juleka said, holding out a hand to shake one of Ledian’s.

“That’s Tikki.” Adrien said. “She’s a sweetheart.”

“I can tell. Nice to meet you, Tikki. I’m Juleka.” Juleka patted Tikki on the head for a moment before Tikki flew off back to Adrien. The zoroark was the next to approach, though he didn’t look much like a zoroark at all. If Juleka hadn’t seen him cast the illusion, she would have been surprised that Adrien invited a third person along to the recording.

“Rocco, you don’t need to keep that up.” Adrien said softly.

Rocco just turned his head and stuck his tongue out at Adrien before giving Juleka a brilliant smile and a friendly wave. Juleka waved back, and their greeting was over. Rocco grinned at her when he caught her looking, but he kept his distance, mostly, even from Tikki and the absol. Juleka couldn’t tell if it was a side effect of him being all over Adrien (Rocco spent as much time as possible hanging off his arm, or touching his shoulder, or nudging him, or straight up nuzzling into him – all in his attractive human man illusion disguise) and not having the time to do so for everyone else or if Rocco just didn’t want to get too close to the rest of them.

Unlike Rocco, though, the absol’s position was clear. He yawned and planted himself off to the side and curled up. Only Tikki bothered him while Adrien was still getting ready and making introductions. “And that’s Plagg. Don’t mind him. He’s friendlier than he seems.” Plagg made a face and curled up tighter, making a show of dozing off.

Adrien just shook his head and laughed it off. “Do you mind if I just change in here?” He asked casually.

The question took Juleka off guard. “What? Oh, no, I guess not. Go for it.”

With his permission, Adrien just started stripping on the spot. Juleka tried not to stare – she kind of failed. Only because she was a little shocked by his shamelessness. _He’s a model._ She remembered. _Duh._ Shaking her head, once she had that revelation she just chuckled and turned to give him some privacy. Not that his pokémon did, anyway. Rocco was digging clothes out of his bag and tossing them to him as he needed them. Plagg was still pretending to sleep, but neither Rocco nor Tikki seemed to care at all about Adrien being in his underwear.

Not that they would. Or that Juleka did. She just worried she’d be misinterpreted if Adrien stopped to think about it if she didn’t look away. “Now that I think about it,” she said quietly, “do you usually wear makeup in your performances?”

“Didn’t used to.” Adrien answered. “You can look now.” She turned back around to see him fastening his belt but otherwise fully decked out sans mask and makeup, which he quickly applied next. Juleka cringed a little at his indelicate hand, but all he was doing was coloring his eyelids all black, so he didn’t really _need_ to be too careful with it “I’ve been experimenting a little.”

“Oh.”

“What do you think, Juleka? I started using eyeliner and eyeshadow so that my lids blend with the mask. Good, or nah?”

“I like it.”

He chuckled. “Good. I’ve been trying to get a handle on my costume design, but I don’t know. This is just an old hoodie I used to sneak out sometimes. I never meant to build a persona around it, you know?”

“Yeah.” _It’s definitely not the most flattering._ “You make it work, though.”

“Aw, thanks.” He flashed her a grin and set up his own camera near the mirror wall, pointed at the blank wall opposite. Juleka followed him and recognized the view she was used to from her computer screen. _Rad._ “Okay.” He said, bouncing and shaking his arms loosely. “Tikki, Plagg, come on. Warm-up.”

As he stretched, Adrien eyed Juleka. “So,” he said. “you’re pretty close with Rose.”

Juleka arched her brow and watched him carefully. “I am.”

“What about, uh, Marinette?”

“What about her?”

Adrien ducked his head and fell into a splits. “Well, she’s, uh… I get the sense that she’s really cool, you know? But at the same time… she seems to kind of fall apart around me. I’d really like to actually talk to her sometime, so I hoped you’d have some insight.”

“Oh.” Juleka said. “She’s got a crush on you. I don’t know how much you can do about it unless you like her back.” For a moment, Juleka regretted answering. Marinette’s crush wasn’t any of her business, so she probably shouldn’t have said it so bluntly, or at least while leaving so little room for doubt. At the same time, though, she felt a friend should be able to tease their friend about someone else’s crush on them. It wasn’t as if she was super close to Marinette, anyway, that would put her in a position where she’d be “betraying” her or something by telling him. Marinette never told her; all Juleka did to find out about her crush was observe. Adrien probably did too.

And Adrien sighed and bent toward one of his feet. “Yeah, I thought that might be it.” He shook his head. “Damn.”

“If it helps,” Juleka offered, “I doubt she just likes you because you’re rich and famous. That’s not really like her.”

“No, I know.” Adrien said. Then he laughed. “Believe me, I know. I won’t ever forget how she tore me a new one that first day.” Juleka couldn’t resist snickering. “It’s just that if she can’t really talk to me, I won’t ever be able to get to know her. I don’t know how I feel about that kind of thing yet – public school and having a bunch of friends is still new to me, you know? But if I was going to decide to date someone, Marinette’s kind of shooting herself in the foot with her whole thing. It’s cute, don’t get me wrong, but I’ll never get to know her very well at this rate.”

“You sound remarkably open to the idea of dating Marinette.”

“Should I not be?” Adrien winked. “I’ve already seen glimpses of a really cool girl behind all the crush anxiety or whatever it is. Not to mention she’s beautiful. Frankly, I’m just glad she gave me a second chance, even if it did end up this way. It was a misunderstanding, but I still didn’t make a very good first impression.”

Juleka hummed. “Chloé doesn’t have anything to say about that?”

“Chloé’s just protective. She knows public school is new to me, so she’s looking out for me in her way. And she’s jealous because Marinette likes me. That makes her both a little more cruel than she would be, and a little more protective – because Marinette is both a threat to her chances and also she doesn’t want to see me get hurt. That’s how I think of it, anyway.”

“I guess you’d know best.” _I would just assume she’s jealous and cruel by default and that she thinks that because she likes you, she owns you. But Adrien did grow up with her, they said. If he says she’s protective and looking out for him, I’m in no place to argue._

Adrien chuckled. “You don’t believe me.”

Juleka shrugged. “She’s kind of mean by default.”

“That’s fair. I hate to say it, but I think I bring out the worst in her. Ever since she started getting a crush on me, she’s gotten worse and worse. I think she’ll settle down when I get more established, though. She’s already giving Nino a break.”

“That’s good.”

“Yeah.” He sprung to his feet and did some last few stretches. “Alright. You guys ready?” He looked to his pokémon, who all nodded. “Cool. Let’s go over the routine.”

Juleka sat back on a bench and just watched as he performed. None of them paid her much mind when they were in the midst of the performance, but she didn’t expect them to. And when they got through the whole routine, Adrien just nodded once and looked to Juleka. “Do you know how to work the camera?”

“I can press the record button, yeah.”

He giggled, as did Rocco and Tikki, and Juleka slid over to get behind the camera. “Let me know when.” Adrien said.

Juleka silently checked that they were centered in frame and pressed the record button and pointed to Adrien to let him know they were rolling.

And he soared. There was something about Chat Noir – about Adrien – when he performed. Juleka felt it in his dance, it spread though the room and through the screen. It lifted him up, and it lifted up anyone watching. Sitting there in the room was different than watching on the screen, though. On the screen, it was a gentle rise, heat under her sails to drag her higher. In person, it was electrifying. It didn’t just pick her up, but it energized her too. It crackled through the room and made her want to join him in the dance.

It was exhilarating, and Juleka was just glad that she had the opportunity to see what no one else up to that point had ever witnessed. Chat Noir, live. _I’m seeing Chat Noir perform live._ The weight of the thought hit her like a truck, all very suddenly and all at once. _I know Chat Noir. The internet star with over a million subscribers._ Even though she’d known for several hours by then, it only just hit her when she actually saw him perform. _I’m the luckiest person in Lumiose. Holy shit._

She was still freaking out a little when he finished the performance and took a bow. “Alright!” He said, clapping his hands. “I think that went well! What do you think, Juleka?”

“Brilliant.” She smiled. “As always.”

He beamed. “Rocco? Plagg? Tikki?”

Plagg yowled dramatically and laid down on his back, while Tikki just giggled and bounced in the air a little. Rocco took on his human illusion again and made a quick series of motions with his hands.

Adrien nodded. “Yeah, I agree.” Rocco signed something else. “Wait, actually, you’re right. Juleka!”

She jumped a little. “Yeah?”

“You said you watched Chat Noir for a while, right?”

Sheepishly, she nodded.

“Have you ever commented on the videos?”

Juleka ducked her head. “…Maybe.”

“Oh, you got to tell me your username! I want to know what you’ve been saying all this time!”

Feeling her face flush, she decided to save herself by changing the topic to something she had just a moment ago decided to not bother asking about. It was better than showing Adrien every embarrassing comment she’d written to a stranger she thought would never see them. “Rocco knows sign language?”

Adrien crossed his arms and pouted. “Hey! Don’t change the subject.”

With an amused yip, Rocco threw an arm over Adrien’s shoulder and nodded. “Rad. I’ve been learning.”

“Juleka!” He used nearly his entire breath elongating her name. “I want to read them!”

“Hey,” she said to all three of the pokémon. “You guys want smoothies?”

Their raucous approval of the idea nearly drowned out Adrien’s whining. “Come on! Juleka!”

Juleka nodded, still addressing the pokémon. “He’s right. We should get a move on and get those smoothies, huh?”

“You’re the worst!”

Juleka just snickered.

She didn’t end up telling him her username, but she did end up spending the rest of the day with Adrien and all the pokémon. Adrien’s pokémon and her own got along splendidly, as it happened. As well as Adrien and herself got along. She suspected her bribes of smoothies for the performers had some part to play in how much they’d gotten comfortable around her and in her apartment, but she wasn’t going to complain. It was fun. A lot of fun.

_We’ll see how long it lasts._

That day, from the moment she bumped into Adrien in the makeup store to when he left her apartment to go home, was something Juleka was never going to forget. She couldn’t ever remember having that much fun before, and that’s not even starting on the whole revelation that she knew Chat Noir. She would cherish the memory of that day forever, she knew for certain.

But that’s all she thought it would end up being, ultimately. She knew Adrien was a good guy, and she really did love his friendship and she didn’t doubt that he liked hers too, but Rose had been the only one outside her family not to end up forgetting about her. Not even because of a separation or anything, she just… faded away. It was her lot in life, she supposed, and so she got used to clinging to days and moments and it really was enough. This time, it was so much more than enough. Juleka couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt that content.

Well, she could. It was before she started crushing on Rose and their friendship turned a little hollow for the pining. Rose was still a brilliant friend, of course, but it wasn’t quite so filling when Juleka wished there were more. But that didn’t matter.

But though she knew it wouldn’t last, when she laid down to dream, she dared dream of something more permanent. Friends forever. Something that wouldn’t disappear and be forgotten by the time school started again on Monday. It was a sweet dream, one that hurt to wake up from.

But it was fine. She could make do with memories.

Sunday went by as Sundays did. She was still getting used to her new schedule in her apartment, but it wasn’t anything special. She used the day, since she’d gotten caught up with Adrien the day before, to visit her family and she had fun as she always did. She wasn’t lonely, because she was with her family.

But when she went home and she checked her phone and found no messages, the loneliness crept back up on her. A whole day without contact wasn’t a good sign. A day was all it took. She was pretty forgettable, after all. She was invisible. It was a miracle Adrien even recognized her in that makeup store.

And that night’s dream was less pleasant, but it wasn’t bad. It was perfectly ordinary, like her life was once more.

Monday morning, she slipped into the school and sat silently at her desk and waited for Rose to get there or for class to start.

Adrien came in the door and, for the first time, his eyes snapped immediately to her. He grinned that dazzling grin and waved and rushed over to her desk. “Hey, Juleka! How was your weekend?”

“It was nice. Spent yesterday with my brother, mostly.”

“Oh, nice! What’d you do?” Juleka took a moment to process, and to stare at him. He rubbed his neck and muttered, “Sorry, do you… not want to talk?”

“No! I do!” Juleka exclaimed quickly, grabbing his arm before he could hop off her desk and retreat. “Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting… this.”

His brow knit together and he tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

Juleka hid behind her bangs. “Well…” _He remembered you._ “Sometimes…” _Not for long. Give it a week. A month, max._ “I just… tend to be easily overlooked.”

He pursed his lips and she squirmed under his gaze for a moment that stretched on and on. “Oh.” He said finally. “Well, I can’t imagine how. You’re freaking amazing!” He flashed his grin, but it fell quickly in favor of a more serious expression. “Seriously, Juleka. I really like spending time with you, and I hope we can do another day like Saturday again sometime. Maybe lots of times?”

Juleka smiled, for him, because he smiled for her. Because Adrien might be another of the same, but he could also be something different, and he was definitely worth smiling for. Because she noticed that when she smiled, he smiled. For her. Because she smiled for him. “Adrien.” She said, feeling just a tad emboldened. “That sounds like you’re asking me out.”

Adrien’s face turned red as a wurmple in a fraction of a second and he shot off the desk like it burned him. “What? No! I mean- not that you’re not- I just- I-”

And Juleka started laughing, too loudly for her, not loudly enough for Adrien. “I’m teasing.” She said.

He calmed down. “Oh.”

“I know what you meant.”

“Good.”

“I’d like that too.”

He really brightened up at that. “Really?!”

“Yeah. Definitely.”

Nino walked in, then, and only gave a cursory confused look to Adrien chatting with Juleka before shrugging it off and approaching. “Hey, dude. Hey, Juleka. I didn’t know you guys were friends.”

Adrien blushed. “We ran into each other over the weekend. Ended up kind of spending the day together.”

“Oh, neat.” Nino said. And that was it. He moved on, and they both went to sit at their own seats.

“See you later, Juleka.” Adrien said. To Juleka, for some reason, it felt more like a promise than when most people said it. “We should definitely arrange to meet up again sometime.”

She nodded, reflecting his grin and the fire in his eyes right back at him. “Definitely.”


End file.
